Mousinho da Silveira, José Xavier
Mousinho da Silveira, José Xavier
Born July, 12, 1780, in Castelo de Vide; died Apr. 4, 1849, in Lisbon. Portuguese political figure.
By profession a jurist, Mousinho da Silveira was close to the leaders of the Portuguese Revolution of 1820. He was arrested in 1824 after the counterrevolutionary coup carried out by the absolutists under Miguel Braganza, but was quickly freed upon the defeat of the Miguelists. However, after Miguel was proclaimed king in 1828, Mousinho da Silveira emigrated to France.
In 1832, Mousinho da Silveira returned to Portugal as minister of finance and justice in the constitutionalist government which opposed Miguel. He introduced a number of limited bourgeois reforms, such as the separation of the administrative and judicial powers of government and the creation of elected local councils, or juntas. After resigning his ministerial post on Jan. 1, 1833, Mousinho da Silveira no longer played an important role in Portugal’s political life.